GWSS Post #1

Remembering is a feminist process. The history of the oppressed is not designed to be remembered. This is why it is extremely important to acknowledge the significance of archive in regards to the history of music and culture. As Gayle Wald stated in "Rosetta Tharpe and Feminist Unforgetting," "biography, it seemed to me, could serve as a powerful critique of dominant historical narratives."
There are many ways history can be remembered whether that be through biography, memory, or even an Ofrenda used to honor those who have passed on Day of the Dead. I love how we are using the cultural practice (the Ofrenda) as archive in this class because it is not only a tool of remembering but also appreciates the significance of this tradition in Mexican culture. This quote from the Chicago Tribune article "How Day of the Dead is celebrated" highlights the connection between archive and honor: "Day of the Dead is a very sacred day. It's the day in which we welcome back the memory and the souls of those people who are still -- are still -- an important part of our family, even though they may not be physically present."

I worry that even when archives exist, the institution of music (such as producers and streaming platforms) and those in power will not allow for the rewriting of the "sacred" history. I ran into this when I talked to my dad about "Hound Dog" actually being an original from Big Mama Thorton, rather than Elvis. He didn't want to accept it and just brushed it off his shoulder blaming it on the fact that I was reading my "fake" feminist news again. How are we supposed to rewrite history and acknowledge and appreciate legendary artists if no one wants to accept it as the truth? This can be said for many of the other artists we have touched on whose work has been stolen by more "mainstream" or "normative" artists; such as Memphis Minnie's "When the Levee Breaks" becoming famous because of Led Zeppelin.

DJ Selections

The songs I chose to include in my DJ selection this week are "I Will Always Love You" made famous by Whitney Houston and "If I Were A Boy" by the iconic Beyonce. Through my research I found out that "I Will Always Love You" was originally recorded by none other than Dolly Parton but blew up when Whitney recorded it for the movie The Bodyguard. A similar thing happened with "If I Were A Boy" which was first recorded by a woman named BC Jean and declined release by her record label. I find it interesting that in these scenarios you would expect, based on the normative narrative of music and power, the white artists to receive credit not the black artists. These are also two incredible songs so I just had to include them!

I Will Always Love You:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDqqm_gTPjc

If I Were A Boy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSBhtSRDIMw